Influential Attitude of Hamlet
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Throughout the course of one’s lifetime, an individual will come to a realization that “our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude towards us”. Taken from a quote by John N. Mitchell, it aggravates questions as to whether Hamlet’s attitude towards life and the people whom surrounded him was a factor in the overall shaping and determining of his tragic downfall. A play written and directed by William Shakespeare, Hamlet is set within a world inclusive to revenge and hatred passion perceived from the perception of Hamlet. The audiences follows Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark and the son of a murdered King as he attempts to seek his most righteous position from the one who stole his identified crown whom is also the murderer of his father. In Hamlet, Shakespeare suggests that one’s cynical outlook on life will lead ultimately, to one’s own demise. His pessimistic prospects essentially impinged on his confidence with individuals and his values towards life which as a result, drained him both mentally and emotionally.
A notable aspect in which the audiences witness is of the relationships between characters, with Hamlet’s connections being one of the main distinctive observations. As an outcome of his negative mind-set, he distances himself from people as he does not allow for himself to entrust his dependence in others. Hamlet’s general wariness towards people is an indirect display of his feelings regarding his mother, Gertrude [�s], actions. Due to his mother’s remarriage to his uncle shortly after his father’s death, he resents her for the ostensibly betrayal and disloyalty. Additionally, due to her suspicious behaviors such as her scarce mourning for her husband, questions are initiated regarding her involvement in the participation of his father’s murder. As a result of his distrust in Gertrude, he generalizes his detestation of women as being weak and frail which in the extensiveness of time, led to his estrangement with Ophelia. Although his affections for Ophelia were of true intendments, he
had obstructed his feelings for her by making believe that he had neglected these thoughts for her since he was not capable of placing his confide in anyone. This is established during an argument conflicting Ophelia in which he tells her she “should not have believed [him that he loved her]; for virtue cannot so inoculate [their] old stock but [they] shall relish of it: [he] loved [her] not.” Hamlet reveals that he never did feel affection for her; however, when he sees her lying lifeless in her coffin, he expresses that he “loved Ophelia [and even] forty thousand brothers could not, with all their quantity of love, make up [his] sum. Despite that he had truly loved Ophelia, he was not able to overcome his fear and concern of being betrayed. This demonstrates the control and influence of his negative attitude which frequently affected his relationships among people. With the authority of this recently originated fear, even the sight of his old college friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, did not appear to have relieved him of his distress. Upon welcoming them to Elsinore, Hamlet instantaneously examines and studies their words and expressions to determine that they “were sent for; and [that] there [was] a kind of confession in [their] looks which [their] modesties have not craft enough to colour.” It becomes apparent that Hamlet is not able to recognize any positive possessions in his friends as he is continually suspicious of their intentions; therefore, he remains untrusting towards them. Even subsequent to their declaration of guilt of being sent for from the King and Queen, Hamlet finds it difficult to pardon their engagement and promise to observe his actions. As a result of his begrudge, he gradually pushes their friendship off to the side resulting in their eventual allegiance to the King. Hamlet’s alienation of his companions ultimately drove them to the alliance of his enemy which produced a damaging consequence in his overall approach for his revenge. He is unable to utilize his friendship as a type of power and a part of his strength as his uncle, Claudius, has. Overall, Hamlet’s negative attitude towards people which forbids him to trust others reduced him the chance for a faultless revenge. Furthermore, due to his lonesome existence without any supporters, he ranks life as unimportant and insignificant as he had nobody to confide in or acquire guidance from.
In various portions from scenes of the play, it is effortlessly detectable of Hamlet’s harmful and disapproving viewpoint on the aspects of life and his existence. As a result of his mistrusting vision of his companions, he is incapable of relying on others causing him to feel notions of isolation and aloneness in a world which he believes as distorted and false. In one instance when Marcellus and Horatio attempted to halt Hamlet from following a ghost-like figure of Old Hamlet, he asks them in return the reason for him to fear as he does “not set [his] life at a pin’s fee; And for [his] soul, what [could] it do that, being a thing immortal as itself.” Hamlet reveals to the audiences that he struggles to find any value or worth to the life in which he lives. As seen in his discouraging approach of thought, he is yet to be positioned into the proper mind-set to be able to scheme and plot for an ideal vengeance. There was also a moment in time in which he stretched thoughts on the proposal of suicide as he deemed his life as empty and worthless. He enquires a question to himself, “To be, or not to be? [is it nobler to] suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, [or to fight against the] sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them?” He debates with his conscience whether it would be more dignified for one to simply accept the spiteful things in which luck tosses to you,